The World Cup is deep in the knockout stages as the Round of 16 began Saturday and Denver’s bars and restaurants are packed with soccer fans.

The tournament is a great excuse to support local businesses and find different communities cheering on their home teams. I’ve been to more than 10 spots around the area and there are so many more I would love to visit but won’t get a chance to go to. 

In Part 1 of my journey, I already found several spots I want to go back to such as Maria Empanada, Tios Takos and Bruz Beers. A lot of my favorite places have been on East Colfax and South Broadway as I keep finding my way back there. It has free parking nearby and loads of backup options if one place doesn’t have enough room.

Here’s a reminder of the three metrics I use to sort out my favorite spots: the cost of food, accessibility to television screens and seating and the atmosphere created by the fans. (Disclaimer: These are my opinions, my article and I make the rules here. You are always welcome to come up with your own system.)

And just because a score is low, it doesn’t mean it’s not a good watch spot. There are times I want to revel with a loud crowd and other times I want to watch the games in a space quiet enough for working remotely. It depends on what mood you’re in.

Now, here are a few more spots I found. 

Atomic Cowboy for U.S. vs. Türkiye

Affordability: 8/10

Accessibility: 5/10

Atmosphere: 4/10 

The biscuits here are delicious and cost about $15. They’re both filling, flavorful and fun to eat compared to some watch spots with deep-fried bar staples. There were plenty of T. V.s. but the games were a little difficult to see from some of the booths, whether the screens were too small and far away or blocked by a supporting column. It wasn’t the typical rowdy crowd I’ve seen at several U.S. games so I recommend this as a better place to go if you want both a quieter dining and watching experience.

Total: 5.6/10

Address: 3237 E. Colfax Ave., Denver

Stoney’s Bar and Grill for France vs. Norway

Affordability: 7/10

Accessibility: 10/10

Atmosphere: 8/10 

Sometimes the key to finding the best World Cup hot spots is finding where local cultural groups are hosting their watch parties. The local Alliance Française de Denver has been meeting at Stoney’s Bar and Grill and the place was packed with fans in their French gear for typically quieter midday games. The place went crazy as Ousmane Dembélé scored one of the fastest hat tricks in the tournament’s history.

I really appreciate places like this for using QR codes to order food and drinks when it can be difficult to catch a server, though the workers did an amazing job of checking in. There was so much space in this spot to find seating either indoors or outdoors and plenty of TVs. My only gripe was that my corn dogs were heavy with oil after a good deep-fry.

Total: 8.3/10

Address: 1111 Lincoln St., Denver

DNVR Bar for U.S. vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Affordability: 7/10

Accessibility: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10 

This place was packed with U.S. soccer fans, with some even dressed up as colonial Founding Fathers in white wigs while drinking from a giant beer tower. I wish I was making that up. The energy here was electric, though we U.S. soccer fans need to start coming up with our own unique chants to keep that spirit going. The Argentina fan club at Maria Empanada is beating us here. If you want seating, get here early, as it does fill up fast. 

There were so many TVs here I actually had struggles picking which one to watch from, whether it was a glare from the lights on one or it was hard to face my friends. I was so happy to have been able to get a reasonably priced croissant breakfast sandwich in the afternoon, but it did lack a little in quality. The strawberry basil gin lemonade drink was phenomenal though; I just had to order a second one.

This is a great place to watch the games, but expect to lose your voice and not be able to hear what your friends and family say. It gets loud.

Total: 7.6/10

Address: 2239 E. Colfax Ave., Denver

BARna Global Soccer & Tapas for Spain vs. Austria

Affordability: 7/10

Accessibility: 8/10

Atmosphere: 7/10 

A soccer-themed bar? One that opened right as the World Cup started? I just had to check this spot out.

This brand new watch party spot seeping with the aesthetic of FC Barcelona came to town right on time. I now believe more Denver watch spots should follow in their example and have a foosball table. 

This was a great place to watch, eat food and work remotely. Out of all the places I’ve been to throughout this tournament, this had the most chef-forward menu. The tapas, the Spanish word for small shareable plates, make it easy to have something to snack on during the game and not have to eat or spend on a full meal if you don’t want to. And it’s delicious too. But as it goes with tapas, the cost can quickly add up if you’re not careful and keep ordering more (and it’ll be tempting).

The bar was quiet at first — as it was a midday game — but gradually filled up with enthusiastic fans for Spain’s decisive win against Austria. By the end, it was a party. It may be new, but this place has the potential to capitalize on Americans’ growing interest in soccer and become one of Denver’s top places for watch parties.

Total: 7.3/10

Address: 1201 E. Colfax Ave., Denver